Assassin's Creed: Initiates

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He who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow.

This article contains spoilers, meaning it has information and facts concerning recent or upcoming releases from the Assassin's Creed series.If you do not want to know about these events, it is recommended to read on with caution, or not at all.

"On September 1st, 2012, a man is kidnapped in New York. Brought to a secret Abstergo facility in Italy, he is placed in the Animus and forced to relive the memories of his Assassin ancestor. This man is Desmond Miles. This is his story."

―The Desmond Files.

Flash screen for Assassin's Creed: Initiates

Assassin's Creed: Initiates was a community-oriented project founded by Ubisoft on 1 September 2012 that was envisioned as "the place for all things Assassin's Creed".

The website included a news section, forums for discussion, and a link to Ubiworkshop's store. Most notably, it featured an explorable map that tracked places, events, people, objects and messages from the series' storyline. On 5 October 2012, a timeline section that charted historic events in the series' chronology was introduced.

On 21 December 2012, the solar flare disrupted communications throughout the globe, which caused the website to crash. In January 2013, the website allowed users to answer a question once a day to help restore communications.

The site subsequently moved to a closed alpha stage, requiring an activation key to participate. Participants who were able to get an activation key were under a strict Terms & Agreement policy to not share what was being done during the closed alpha stage. The site entered an open alpha stage in October 2013, and the NDA agreement was lifted. On 26 June 2014, the site was closed for an indefinite period of time due to maintenance, until it was redesigned and reopened on 11 November 2014. The platform was definitively retired on 30th September 2016.

The Desmond Files refers to a collection of images, video clips, transcripts and documents that tracked the events following Desmond Miles' capture by Abstergo Industries. Each file was keyed to a location on an explorable world map and tagged with a timestamp expressed in the UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) standard.

Security camera footage from Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn at 4:37am showed that Abstergo agents had captured an unidentified Caucasian male, in his mid-twenties, approximately 6' tall and weighing 190 lbs. Their destination was unknown.

Desmond was brought to the Abstergo campus in Rome, Italy at 7:37pm. Scramblers from the Akashic Satellite Plexus prevented satellite imagery from pinpointing the campus' various facilities, and the extraction of geographical coordinates.

At 5:53pm, Desmond confided to Lucy Stillman that his parents raised him in an isolated community of Assassins simply called "the Farm". He likened the Farm to a prison where he had felt trapped and cut off from the rest of the world - a life that he resented and eventually ran away from when he was 16.

At 11:24am, the results of Desmond's medical examination came up, with the medical examiner, Dr. Damian Saravakos, reporting that no problems had been found, consequently clearing "Subject 17" for continued study.

Lucy was able to bypass Abstergo's security system and message the Assassins, asking for help. Moments later, at 8:25am, she received a coded reply from an unknown Assassin contact which read "We will be there soon" when deciphered.

At about 6:49pm, a team of Assassins attempted to rescue Desmond, but were neutralized after a firefight with Abstergo security personnel. Vidic questioned Desmond about their presence, to which Desmond denied any involvement.

After the team had been neutralized, Desmond mocked Vidic's temporary anxiety, stating that the facility may not have been as secure as they anticipated. However, Vidic revealed that over the course of the past year, the Templars had been busy hunting down the remnants of the Assassin Order, revealing that most of them had been wiped out, and that Desmond was on his own.

After Desmond was done reliving the memories of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad at about 5:18pm, he exited the Animus, and soon afterwards, discovered he had unlocked a unique trait his ancestor had once possessed.

At 6:21pm, Desmond, with the aid of Lucy, escaped the Abstergo research facility. As they made their way out, Desmond noticed Lucy taking out several guards with ease – a consequence of her training as an Assassin.

Along the way, they reached a door which required a code to allow them to proceed. Using his newfound gift, Desmond found the code, and the two were successful in their escape.

The following data was recorded from a cell phone tower in Brisbane, Australia, at 10:14pm.

DATA TRANSCRIPT LEVEL 3
...........................................
Cell Tower Grid 27LN153AP
...........................................
UTC 20120910T221401Z
...........................................
[outgoing transmission]
[caller id = public phone]
[-] What the hell do you mean?
[+] You heard me, Gavin. The team failed to report. Again. This is–
[-] When did you last heard from them?
[+] Didn't you get my last em–
[-] When?
[+] Three days. [pause] Over three days ago. Gavin I–
[-] Listen, and listen carefully. We have to move fast. First, keep
only the most vital data. Destroy the rest. Leave no trace. You know
the drill. Second, secure transport. Third, get to the–
[signal interrupted]

At around 7:34pm, Lucy told Desmond that two more Assassin teams had been lost the preceding night, referring to a team in Whistler, British Columbia and an unidentified one. Altogether, 8 Assassins were believed to have been killed, though the circumstances surrounding the latter team were unknown.

At 9:09pm, an Abstergo assault team led by Dr. Warren Vidic stormed the Assassin hideout in Rome. Though Desmond and Lucy repelled the attackers, the Assassins were forced to abandon their compromised base.

At 1:01am, a roadblock set up by the State Police in Grosseto, Italy forced Lucy's team to change destinations.

Lucy: Shit! There's a roadblock up ahead. They must have known we'd go north.
Desmond: Where exactly are we?
Rebecca: Check the map. Is there anywhere safe we can set up the equipment?
Someplace with good cover? A cave, anything.
Shaun: No, there's nothing around here for– Hello. Take E78.
Lucy: What–
Shaun: This exit. Turn!
Lucy: I hope you actually have a plan.
Shaun: Wait until you see where I'm taking you.

Two hours later, Lucy's team arrived in Monteriggioni, north of Grosseto. They set up a new headquarters in the underground Sanctuary beneath the Villa Auditore, where the old Assassin stronghold's thick walls blocked all electronic signals and shielded them from detection.

At 12:08pm, in Florence, Italy, Adriano sent another e-mail to William Miles, stating that his "associate" had returned safely, and cryptically referring to the attack in Whistler being led by Daniel Cross.

At 7:06pm, in Florence, Adriano received an e-mail from William that referred to Lucy's team having inopportunely gone dark. William instructed Maestranzi that he should call William if he heard from "[their] Rome sales team", as he needed to talk to them.

DATA TRANSCRIPT LEVEL 3
...........................................
Cell Tower Grid 39YP75EN
...........................................
UTC 20120921T175228Z
...........................................
[outgoing transmission]
[caller id = private]
[-] This isn't a good time, Daniel.
[+] It can't wait.
[-] You already said that to the receptionist.
[+] Yeah, well, you know why I'm calling, don't you.
[-] I don't have time to play 20 Questions now, Daniel.
[+] I know you lost him.
[-] Do you?
[+] Don't do this to me, Warren.
[-] Alright. You know. Who told you?
[+] Never mind that. I have my sources. When were you planning
on telling me?
[-] Telling you? This has nothing to do with you.
[+] Nothing to– Damn it, Warren! I'm the one who delivered him.
Right into your lap! Without me you'd never have found him.
[-] [silence]
[+] And a week later you lost him... Then failed to get him back.
And you personally took part in the assault! What the hell's going
on?
[-] Desmond Miles is not your problem. He is mine.
[+] Yeah, I'm sure he is. Great job at the hideout, by the way. At
least you survived. That's something, I guess.
[-] [sigh] I'm getting tired of this, Daniel. I'm hanging up now.
[+] Wait! I'm coming to Rome. I'll get him back for you.
[-] You will do no such thing.
[+] But–
[-] I'll have need of you soon, Daniel. For now, just hang tight.
[+] Warren–
[-] The situation is under control. Trust me.
[+] Trust you. Right. OK... I trust you.
[-] Goodbye, Daniel.
[+] Yeah, goodb–
[signal interrupted]

The article claimed that the 1,000-year-old statue was carved from a rare meteorite that fell to Earth between 10,000 and 20,000 years ago. The statue was looted from Tibet before World War II by Adolf Hitler's SS, but resurfaced in 2007. Also noted on the e-mail were Nancy Nilop and E., whom R. reminded to "get it back".

Rikkin's e-mail about the Iron Man statue

The statue bore a swastika, an ancient symbol later adopted by the Nazis

The Corriere di Monteriggioni reported a few articles concerning the events of the past month. A translation of the paper can be found below:

Violence on the rise in Monteriggioni

In the last month the flow of tourists has considerably increased, to the delight of merchants and landlords in the city. But not all that glitters is gold: over the last week there have been three burglaries and a fight between a British tourist and a worker of the place. What is happening to our peaceful community?

Explorers of graves grow

Tuscany is a true paradise for archaeologists and restorers. This time, however, the shovels were taken up by some students from Monteriggioni, led by Professor Tresisani, who began to dig for buried treasure in courtyards.

The economic crises strikes our banks

The Monte dei Paschi di Siena has recorded losses of € 1.6 billion in the first six months of 2012, but the oldest bank in the world is not the only one to suffer because of the economic crisis. Yesterday, the People's Bank of Monteriggioni revealed to be passive. What are the consequences?

A welcome return

Professor Ilario Lannotti, brother of our esteemed councilor, spent several weeks at the University of California working on the ENCODE project. Now the professor has returned to hold a series of conferences in various Italian universities on the subject of new frontiers in DNA researching.

The following data was recorded from somewhere in the Pacific Ocean at 9:54pm.

DATA TRANSCRIPT LEVEL 3
...........................................
Cell Tower Grid 31HP152EP
...........................................
UTC 20121005T215438Z
...........................................
[outgoing transmission]
[caller id = private]
[-] Yes?
[+] William. Gav– [signal interrupted] –trouble reachi– [signal
interrupted] –still off the– [signal interrupted] –wait– [signal
interrupted]
[-] Hello? Gavin?
[+] [static] Hold on. [static] I'm back. Hello? Can you hear me?
[-] Yes. Much better, thanks. What's going on?
[+] You know, roaming the high seas, plundering and pillaging, a
girl in every port. That sort of thing. Just calling to give you an
update. It's been too long.
[-] It has. Adriano kept me in the loop. No news from our friends
down under?
[+] No good news, if that's what you mean. We had time to check
things out. I... I did it myself, Bill. [pause] They've all been
eliminated.
[-] Shit! [pause] What about Osaka?
[+] The team lost their tail and made contact, as planned. Secured
a new safe house yesterday... Well, not quite new. We haven't
used that one in a while. You know the place. You've been there
before, in '98.
[-] Right. Glad to hear it.
[+] As for Moscow, they're still searching.
[-] Let's hope this isn't a dead end.
[+] Keeping our fingers crossed. It's a promising lead, Bill. Give
them time. What's the word on your end? Adriano...
[-] He's fine. His condition has much improved. He swears he
feels 20 years younger.
[+] Good.
[-] I'm with his cell now. We're safe and sound. Monitoring the
team. They're still at the Villa, but they've made unbelievable
progress. You wouldn't believe it, Gavin. I'll send you a full report.
[+] Perfect.
[-] Keep this to yourselves for now. The last thing we want... Well,
you know.
[+] Of course.
[-] Alright. Thanks for calling. I'll talk to you soon, old friend.
[+] Take care, Bill.
[-] Happy plundering.

The Corriere di Monteriggioni reported a few more articles concerning the events of the past week. A translation of the paper can be found below:

Medici Week
by Antonio Russo

In order to celebrate the issuing of a postage stamp depicting Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, the city council, in collaboration with local artists and craftsmen, invites you to the Medici Week, a series of events dedicated to Renaissance and contemporary art.

The future of ice cream

As we approach the opening of the first museum dedicated to ice-cream, the result is a true revolution in taste. In fact, in flavors! A new generation of ice-cream makers in town has indeed decided to challenge tradition, creating ice cream with gorgonzola cheese, green pepper and even lobster and vodka. Which will you choose?

Villa Auditore for sale?

The historic villa, acquired in the fourteenth century by Domenico Auditore, has belonged to his heirs until the turn of the sixteenth century. Since then, it has fallen into disrepair, but signs of recent activity suggest that it may be for sale. Even Villa Auditore will end up in foreign hands?

Herne+ Advertisement
Energy supplement without aromas or taste: the push you need to get out of the ordinary!

The following data was recorded from a cell phone tower near from Monteriggioni at 10:51pm.

DATA TRANSCRIPT LEVEL 3
...........................................
Cell Tower Grid 43KP11EP
...........................................
UTC 20121008T225106Z
...........................................
[outgoing transmission]
[caller id = stillman, lucy]
[-] You have reached the office of Doctor Warren Vidic. At the tone, please
leave a message. For more options, press 1. [bip]
[+] It's Lucy. I realize this is a security breach, but we can't keep Desmond
in the Animus forever. If we push too hard I fear for him. Maybe not for his
life, but his sanity. I don't think I can handle another 16. Please, get back
to me.

Though Rebecca voiced doubts about returning Desmond to the Animus in his comatose state, William believed that the machine was his son's best chance for survival and recovery, trusting that "the Animus [would] do its part and Desmond [would] do the rest".

The following data was recorded from Philadelphia, USA at 4:32pm from a phone call between Daniel Cross and Dr. Warren Vidic, regarding Project Siren.

DATA TRANSCRIPT LEVEL 3
...........................................
Cell Tower Grid 39YP75DN
...........................................
UTC 20121017T16323Z
...........................................
[outgoing transmission]
[caller id = private]
[-] Yes, Daniel.
[+] You lost them, Warren. You lost them. Again!
[-] You misunderstand. This is the first time.
[+] Don't fuck with me. I read the report. Project Siren is over.
Done! Your mole is dead, the Assassins are gone, you have no
idea where Desmond Mi–
[-] This information was restricted. How did you–
[+] I'm still part of the Sanctum. I have access.
[-] Of course you do. [pause] And you are a valued member of our
Inner Circle. I trust you, Daniel, you know I do. But you should not
have told the doctor–
[+] Yeah, well... I'm sorry about that. She... She doesn't know
much.
[-] [sigh] I'm a busy man, Daniel. What do you want?
[+] You know damn well what I want. I'm coming to Rome.
[-] Are you sure you're up to it? According to Dr. Sung's report–
[+] I've spent the last three days in the Animus. The good doctor
upped my meds. I'm back on my feet. I'm fine now. In control.
[-] So you're fit for duty?
[+] I am. I'm ready, but the bastards won't let me leave.
[-] The truth is I could use your expertise in Rome.
[+] Good, I–
[-] Has Dr. Sung given you your leave?
[+] No, but she will if you ask her. She said I'm–
[-] Stay put. I'll take care of it. You'll be on the next flight to Italy.
[+] About time.
[-] What was that?
[+] Never mind. I'll see you in Rome.
[-] Take care of yourself.
[+] Yeah. Thank you Warren. I... I really appreciate it.
[-] Anything for you, Daniel. Anything.

DATA TRANSCRIPT LEVEL 3
...........................................
Cell Tower Grid 41VP12KP
...........................................
UTC 20121019T182200Z
...........................................
[outgoing transmission]
[caller id = private]
[-] Vidic.
[+] What the hell, Warren?
[-] You really should watch your language, Daniel, you know that?
[+] Yeah, well... Shit! This isn't what I had in mind when I came to Rome.
[-] Language.
[+] Don't... Damn it, Warren. I–
[-] Daniel.
[+] I'm sorry. I'm sorry, OK? It's just so damn frustrating!
[-] What is it this time?
[+] You know what Rizzo asked me to do?
[-] Assess the recruits.
[+] What? That's what you had in store for me? A freakin' trainer's job?
[-] [sigh] Listen, Daniel, and listen well. You know how important this
training program is to us. We identified a few promising recruits and–
[+] Promising recruits my–
[-] Listen! Right now, you're the best man for the job. The only man, really.
You're our top operative and you've been training agents for a decade.
[+] You need me to find Desmond Miles! I should–
[-] You should listen to Rizzo. He's in charge here.
[+] But–
[-] This will only take a couple of days.
[+] Warren, I–
[-] Two days, Daniel. That's all I’m asking.
[+] [silence]
[-] Are we clear?
[+] Yes. Two days. But what about–
[-] The situation is under control. As soon as we locate 17, I'll let you know.
[+] Is that a promise?
[-] Do your job, Daniel.

At 5:09pm, Theodore Rizzo sent an e-mail to Warren Vidic, reporting the problems that Daniel Cross had recently caused in the Animi Training Program, and stating that he should be relieved of his duties. One hour later, Vidic replied that he would not dismiss Daniel and that all would continue as planned.

At 9:15am, Rizzo informed Vidic that Daniel Cross had left the Abstergo campus without anyone's knowledge. Vidic replied within the next hour, saying that Daniel worked well on his own and that Abstergo had the means to track Daniel. He also said that Daniel would presumably need backup, and Rizzo should ready his team and meet Vidic at 7:00am the next day.

At 2:04am, aboard the boat named the Altaïr II on the Caribbean Sea, Gavin received a message from Adriano in Morse code, which stated that William had not made contact, and that he should go to New York.

The Altaïr II

Gavin, no news yet. Expecting update from W. soon. Can you make it to NY? Adriano.

At 8:41pm, William's team arrived at Syracuse, USA, where Gavin arranged for the team to travel as a medical unit from SUNY Upstate.

Gavin: Bill! Good to see you. Listen, we've got a customs officer waiting
to talk to everyone.
William: I hope you have something for us.
Gavin: Absolutely, passports and papers for everyone.
Shaun: Ah brilliant, so I'm... I'm what, a neurosurgeon now, am I?
Gavin: You're a medical team from SUNY Upstate, just back from Rome
with your patient, experimental gene therapy.
William: Good work, let's get this over with.
Rebecca: Wait look, this is crazy!
William: What's wrong?
Rebecca: Not sure, but Desmond's brain is lighting up like a string of
firecrackers!

At 4:08am, in the Grand Temple, William received a message from the Assassin HQ03, informing him that they had put Gavin's plan in motion, which was to distract the Templars. The message also mentioned that Desmond's mother was pleased to learn that Desmond was safe, and with William.

At 1:32am, in the Grand Temple, Desmond received an e-mail from Rebecca, saying that he was coping well with the Bleeding Effect, and that Subject 16 may have had something to do with it. However, she noted that he should still take frequent breaks, just to be safe.

At 1:18pm, the following data was recorded from a cell phone tower in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the USA.

DATA TRANSCRIPT LEVEL 3
...........................................
Cell Tower Grid 39YP75EN
...........................................
UTC 20121115T131841Z
...........................................
[outgoing transmission]
[caller id = private]
[-] Vidic.
[+] Doctor, this is Sung.
[-] Good evening, doctor. I just read your latest report on Subject 4.
[+] I'm afraid I have bad news. Daniel Cross has... vanished.
[-] What do you mean "vanished"?
[+] He left the compound.
[-] Wasn't he supposed to be in the Animus?
[+] Yes. For 48 hours. After that I ordered him to his room. He was confined to
quarters, but—
[-] Yes?
[-] Daniel was there for about two hours. He then came out and... neutralized
the men guarding his room. Somehow he found his way outside. I'm told he
hacked into the Abstergo mainframe before he attacked the guards. Security
should—
[-] Yes. I have them on line 1. I have to go, doctor.
[+] Daniel was under my care. I take full responsibilit—
[-] Doctor. Do me a favor. Keep this to yourself.
[+] Of course.
[transmission ends]

At 12:33pm, the following data was recorded from a cell phone tower in Rome, Italy.

DATA TRANSCRIPT LEVEL 3
...........................................
Cell Tower Grid 41VP12KP
...........................................
UTC 20121117T123301Z
...........................................
[outgoing transmission]
[caller id = private]
[-] Vidi—
[+] What's going on, Warren?
[-] Laetitia. A pleasure, as alw—
[+] My operative in Manhattan found Cross. You know anything about this?
[-] No. We lost him. Two days ago.
[+] What? Why wasn't I—
[-] Please, calm down, Laeti—
[+] Calm down? Desmond Miles was in New York yesterday. Cross scared him
away!
[-] What?
[+] You heard me. One of my operatives was on the case. [sigh] Someone had
hacked into our mainframe; someone interested in the artifacts we are
tracking. I sent a man to investigate, but—
[-] What happened? Is Cross alive?
[+] Yes. He was in bad shape, disoriented, spoke Russian. He attacked my agent.
Fortunately, he neutralized Cross and brought him to us.
[-] Where is he now?
[+] In a holding cell.
[-] This is no place for—
[+] I've ordered his release. He should be in Sung's care within the hour.
[pause] Warren, I know we owe a lot to this man but—
[-] [sigh] Hold on. I'll get Alan on the line.
[transmission ends]

At 2:14pm in Rome, Italy, Ctibor Hašek sent a message to V. and E., informing them that Cross was a very dangerous security risk. Minutes later, V. answered that Cross would not report to Operations or be assigned to Ctibor's teams.

At 5:08pm, Harlan sent a message to William from the Provincial road SP11 in Italy, informing him that they had infiltrated the campus and taken out four hackers along with some guards, as well as destroying their servers, which meant that Abstergo could not track William.

At 10:42pm in Turin, USA, William received a text message from Harlan, informing him that the Templars had found them and that Florence was no longer safe. He also mentioned Adriano Maestranzi's reluctance to leave.

At 12:20am from Bologna, Italy, Harlan notified William that Adriano had blown up the Florence hideout, destroying all files and all but one of the Abstergo agents with it. Following this, Harlan also stated that he was the only Assassin survivor, to which William replied and urged him to stay strong.

At 9:39pm in São Paulo, Brazil, Desmond sought the second power source for the Grand Temple, but Daniel Cross located it first. After a chase and a bout of hand-to-hand combat, Desmond retrieved the artifact and escaped from the city.

At 10:25pm, the following data was recorded from a cell phone tower in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the USA.

DATA TRANSCRIPT LEVEL 3
...........................................
Cell Tower Grid 39YP75EN
...........................................
UTC 20121205T222528Z
...........................................
[outgoing transmission]
[caller id = private]
[+] Doctor Sung speaking.
[-] This is Vidic. How is he doing?
[+] Surprisingly well, actually. Daniel doesn't remember much about Brazil,
but the time he spent in the Animus prov—
[-] Yes, I've read your report. What now?
[+] He needs more treatment. And rest.
[-] Don't worry, doctor, we won't send him on assignment. Is he well
enough to... Is he presentable?
[+] I've already forwarded my recommendations. Last time you chose
to ignor—
[-] Just make sure he doesn't lose it until tomorrow. We'll need him for
about two hours. After that he'll be returned to you.
[+] [sigh] Of course. I'll do my best, doctor.
[-] I expect no less.
[transmission ends]

At 9:32pm, on the South Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil, Gavin received a text message from William which told him that all of William's team were safely back at the Grand Temple in Turin. William also added that the Templars hadn't followed them, and thanked him for his aid in transporting them back.

At 11:27am, on the South Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil, Gavin sent a text message to William which told him about Otso Berg, the Templar who led the attack to the Florentine Assassins. In reply, William answered that his team would keep an eye out for him.

At 8:27pm, William sent a message to his son, telling Desmond that even though the mission to Egypt that he was about to undertake was risky, he shouldn't worry about his father, as William had been fighting the Templars long before Desmond was born.

At 8:18pm in Turin, USA, Desmond received an e-mail from his father, telling him that the Templars would soon capture him. William also added that he should have been more understanding with him and asked Desmond for his forgiveness.

At 3:01am, Daniel called Vidic from Philadelphia to express his dissatisfaction with the promotion of Otso Berg and his subsequent assignment in Cairo.

DATA TRANSCRIPT LEVEL 3
...........................................
Cell Tower Grid 39YP75EN
...........................................
UTC 20121212T030155Z
...........................................
[outgoing transmission]
[caller id = private]
[-] Vidic
[+] Finally! You know how many messages I left you?
[-] I'm a busy man, Daniel. What do you want?
[+] What do I— Look, it's bad enough you made this bastard a
Master behind my back...
[-] We informed you of our decision.
[+] Yeah. And you told me why Rikkin didn't invite me to that
meeting... Medical condition my ass. [sigh] Still, I played nice,
went along with it. Welcomed this jerk into the Order... Never
said a damn word. Not to you, not to that bitch England.
[-] Daniel.
[+] Shit. I didn't mean it like that. But you sent Berg to Cairo.
Trusted him more than me... Hell, this guy is still wet behind the
ears. What can he do that I haven't done a million times already?
[-] Daniel, you're the best operative we have, but we can't send
you on every mission. I assure you, I have full confidence in
your abilities.
[+] Bullshit!
[-] Listen to me. I will tell you something none of the others
know.
[+] Yeah?
[-] You know why I didn't push for you to go to Cairo?
[+] [silence]
[-] William Miles is of no consequence. He's bait. Nothing more.
Truth is, Daniel, I need you to focus on Desmond. He's the one
we need. He's the real target.
[+] [sigh] Desmond. Right.
[-] Well, you did promise you would get him back for us.
[+] Yeah. And I will. You know you can count on me.
[-] Haven't I always?
[transmission ends]

At 3:04pm, in Turin, USA, Desmond and his team received a video transmission from Warren Vidic, revealing to them that the Templars had captured William Miles. Following on from this, Vidic proposed a deal: the Apple of Eden in exchange for William, but if they refused, William would die.

20 minutes later, Desmond was found by Daniel Cross in the same room where he was held a prisoner by Abstergo more than 3 months prior. Before Daniel was able to kill Desmond with a gun, he suffered from the Bleeding Effect, which led to him fleeing the room. Following this, after a long chase in the Animi room, Desmond killed Daniel.

At 5:38pm, Desmond found his father with Warren Vidic, surrounded by several guards. Vidic asked Desmond to hand over the Apple, but Desmond activated it instead, influencing one of the guards to kill Vidic with a gunshot.

At 10:00am, in Rome, Italy, the Templars announced the death of Dr. Warren Vidic and reported that the next phase of the Animus Project would proceed as planned. The background message read as follows:

We mourn the loss of our dear friend and Brother, Master Templar Warren Vidic
of the Inner Sanctum, father of the Animus Project and true visionary.
Murdered December 14, 2012 in Rome, Italy. The world's leading expert in
genetic memory, he devoted his life to scientific research in the pursuit of
the noblest of ambitions, the betterment of humanity. Owing to the foresight
our departed Brother, the next phase of the Project will proceed as planned.

Juno revealed the fifth solution that the First Civilization had planned to survive the solar flares: to enhance their bodies externally, and to transform them internally, into steel strong enough to withstand a hostile environment.

Juno revealed, in a rather cryptic manner, the sixth and final solution that the First Civilization had planned to survive the solar flares: creating entirely new vessels to which they could safely transfer their consciousness.

At 9:12pm, Harlan called Gavin from Vienna, Austria, to confirm that he was safe and sound, and to talk about Adriano's sacrifice during the attack on the Florence hideout.

DATA TRANSCRIPT LEVEL 3
...........................................
Cell Tower Grid 48FP16KP
...........................................
UTC 20121219T211220Z
...........................................
[outgoing transmission]
[caller id = private]
[-] Gavin.
[+] It's Harlan.
[-] I was getting worried. What's the word?
[+] No trace of the Templars. If anyone followed me, I lost them.
[-] Are you at the safe house?
[+] Yeah. As planned. I– [silence]
[-] What's wrong?
[+] Nothing... It's just... Shit, Gavin! I left Adriano behind. He–
[-] He did what he thought was right.
[+] Yeah... Gave his life for the cause and all... It's just... You know what
Old Timer did for me... He was more than just a mentor.
[-] Adriano's death is a great loss for the Brotherhood... Hell, the things he
knew... The things he saw... But his sacrifice wasn't in vain.
[+] I should've–
[-] Carried him on your shoulders while Templars were shooting at you? [sigh]
Adriano was 94 and in a wheelchair. Ordering you to leave was the right thing
to do. The only thing to do.
[+] I know, I know. What now?
[-] Go to Rotterdam. You know the place.
[+] Then what?
[-] Wait for my word. This isn't over.
[+] Right. I'll be ready.
[-] In the meantime, take it easy, kid.
[transmission ends]

At 6:13pm, in Rockport, USA, after reliving Ratonhnhaké:ton's memories, Desmond and his team found the Grand Temple Key on the Davenport Homestead, in the grave of Achilles Davenport's son. William went on to inform Gavin of the news, to which Gavin decided to broadcast it to all of the Assassin Order.

Six minutes later, Desmond found the Eye, the last hope of humanity to survive the solar flares. However, before he activated it, Minerva appeared and told him that if he activated the Eye, Juno would be freed. Juno countered Minerva's argument by informing Desmond of what would happen if he didn't activate the artifact. After hearing their claims, Desmond decided to follow Juno's logic, subsequently sacrificing himself to save the world.

On 3 January 2013, Initiates started working with members of the worldwide community to reestablish their synchronization to the Database Network Archives, also known as D.N.A. Each day since, the website required a passcode to aid in its restoration.

At 10:01am, Gavin and Shaun had a conversation about William's absence.

Shaun: So what are you going to do about William?
Gavin: Nothing.
Shaun: What do you mean “nothing”? I can't find him anywhere.
He's abandoned us.
Gavin: He hasn't abandoned anyone. Bill just needs time. As long
as we have this book, his mission can continue.
Shaun: But if the Templars find him again --
Gavin: If the great Shaun Hastings can't find him, what hope do the
Templars have?
Shaun: It's just... He didn't even say goodbye, you know?
Gavin: He's been through a lot.
Shaun: Well, he's not the only one! Bloody selfish is what it is!
Gavin: He's never been good at goodbyes.
[a long beat]
Shaun: So what do we do now?
Gavin: We go to work. We turn the page.

Gavin: I need eyes and ears in America and you two have more
than proven yourselves. Find out what's going on and check in
with me whenever you can.
Rebecca: Are we getting kicked off the boat because Shaun keeps
puking?
Gavin: Godspeed, Assassins.
Shaun: *blorf*

At 3:19pm, in Black Hills, South Dakota, Shaun and Rebecca found "the farm" where Desmond grew up.

Rebecca: This is weird, isn't it?
Shaun: How so?
Rebecca: I mean, it all happened so quickly. It feels like we barely
knew him!
Shaun: I suppose. But in that short time, we broke him out of
Abstergo, went on the run, watched him murder our friend who
turned out to be a traitor, nursed him through a coma, crossed an
Ocean and helped him reconcile with his father before he died to
save the planet.
Rebecca: Yeesh. When you put it that way…
Shaun: All I'm saying is, I think we made the most of what little
time we had, and we made a difference. The world lives to turn
another day. Isn't that what we should hold on to?
Rebecca: When you put it that way.
Shaun: He was a bit annoying at the beginning though, wasn't he?
Rebecca: Ha. Maybe a little. But that's what we said about you, too.
Shaun: Oi!

At 8:18am, at the Honolulu Harbor, Gavin, Susan and Eric Cooper discussed their next destination.

Susan: So why aren't we in Osaka already? What are you waiting
for?
Gavin: My guy in Osaka isn't answering.
Eric: Yeah, but all our communications went down in December.
Can we not find him once we land in Japan?
Gavin: We have our own way to get in touch. His silence doesn't sit
right with me.
Susan: I'm not keen to take my ship into a trap.
Gavin: I'd never dream of risking your ship, Captain. Mr. Cooper,
take us to the Philippines.
Eric: Aye-aye.
Gavin: Let's go shopping, shall we?

At 10:33am, the Initiates caught wind of an object in Abstergo's possession.

We're hearing rumors that there's a Vial somewhere in the Abstergo
Entertainment building in Montreal. We're pretty sure it's not in the
Lobby, 2F, or 15F, but we have someone on the inside looking through
the other floors. If it's in there, we'll find it.

At 11:51pm, in Osaka, Japan, an Initiate spy aboard the Altaïr II updated their database.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages...
REPORT BEGINS:
It took a few tries, but I have managed to worm my way into the
guts of Hephaestus 2.0.
I will now be able to deliver full reports to the Initiates database in
addition to the usual snippets of information our other spies are
able to obtain. All without anyone onboard the ship knowing about
it. Lucky for me, our computer expert enjoys recreational
marijuana.
I trust you will find my information useful, and I hope you will
indulge me my little narratives.
I remain your humble spy.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages...
REPORT BEGINS:
Three men entered a room where more men had died. Gavin
Banks looked at that room, using that special clarity of his, and the
room showed him ghosts in return. This doesn't come naturally to
him, or easily, and he always emerges from the experience
looking tired.
Emmanuel Barraza saw things in that room as well. He's seen his
fair share of rooms like that for one lifetime. He doesn't need to
use Eagle Vision to know where the bodies fell or how they died.
He was born in a room like that, and I think he's convinced that
he'll die in one.
Gavin emerged from that room with a truth: Abstergo didn't take
out the Osaka Brotherhood, the Yakuza did. Gavin's contact here in
Osaka was one of his first mentors, as well as one of the victims
of that room, and he's taking it pretty hard.
"Find me the Assassins who survived," he told us, "or find me the
Yakuza scumfucks that did this." And so, at last, we have a
mission.
I remain your humble spy.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages...
REPORT BEGINS:
Emmett's many computers are arranged just so among his pipes and ashtrays.
They hum as he plays the keyboard like a ghastly instrument, and the
world's secrets dance to his tune.
He learned that there was recently a violent gang war where a particularly
ruthless branch of the Yakuza, the Onmoraki-Gumi, was wiped out, its leaders
all arrested or killed.
By all reports, Osaka's quiet again. Despite this, Emmett has decided to
stay aboard the ship, surrounded by his lovely machines, where he is safe.
I remain your humble spy.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages...
REPORT BEGINS:
The Onmoraki-Gumi is no more, but they are somehow still running
their front companies. In a welcome surprise, Susan Drayton went
ashore to help with the investigation. I'm surprised she remembers
how to walk on land. It's usually so hard for me to sneak about the
ship with the captain always puttering about. She tried her luck in
one of their gambling dens, but came back aboard when she
couldn't figure out Pachinko.
Emmanuel had better luck, he trailed a cash deposit through the
back streets to the Onmoraki's new HQ.
I remain your humble spy.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages...
REPORT BEGINS:
The new leader of the Onmoraki-Gumi is unknown, though
rumours abound. Eric Cooper heard that it was a 64-year old
woman who killed her own family. Dr. Stephanie Chiu found a
tweet that claimed it was a castrated former porn star. Emmett
said that if he couldn't find anything about her, she didn't exist, but
Emmett was stoned and talking to a lamp. There is a bet going
among the crew, whoever has the right suspect will get to shower
first in the morning for a month.
Gavin decided that the only way to move forward is to confront the
Yakuza directly. He's not here to play games.
I remain your humble spy.

At 9:22am, in Philadelphia, an Abstergo file was uploaded to the Initiates database.

Abstergo File #JD98-2113829: Annual Physical Biometrics Report
Date: 2013-12-16
Location: Abstergo Discovery and Acquisitions Facility,
Philadelphia
Present: Milton Jones (Level 1 Employee, Animus Technician);
Deanna Geary (Level 3 Employee, Nurse)
Prepared by: Damian Saravakos (Level 8 Employee, Medical
Examiner)
For: Mistuko Nakamura (Level 9 Employee, Research Executive)
Mistuko,
Sometimes happy news just falls into your lap. Turns out we just
hired someone with a very interesting bloodline. We've only just
started looking into Mr. Jones's ancestors, but we've already
pulled some good data on a known associate of Edward Kenway,
from c.1735.
While it's unclear if it will lead to any new artifacts, at the very least
those clowns in Montreal can make a stupid game of it or
something. Naturally, I'll keep you updated.
Best,
Damian.
///Transcript begins:
D. GEARY: You look like that actor from those kung fu films. You
know, the one with the afro?
[Nurse Geary disposes of a pair of plastic gloves and retrieves a fresh pair.]
M. JONES: Yeah, my mom swears that I'm his son, but I don't
believe her. I think she just didn't want me to feel shitty about never
having a dad around.
D. GEARY: Don't be nervous. This is standard procedure for new
Abstergo hires.
M. JONES: I'm not nervous. I've just always hated needles.
(Vocal analysis program suggests a 70% chance that young Mr.
Jones is lying based on volume, changes in pitch, and pauses
between words. False bravado? Or is he nursing a little crush on
Ms. Geary? No pun intended. –DS)
D. GEARY: Then you're in luck!
[Nurse Geary reveals a Vial.]
M. JONES: Is this like a charity blood drive type thing?
D. GEARY: No, it's for our health records, as well as our genetic
memory research.
[Nurse Geary retrieves a blood sample from M. Jones.]
(What's interesting is that when their hands touched, thermal
imaging suggested that both of their heart rates jumped. I'd bet
you anything that had I cut them open at that very moment, I'd have
found their brains soaking in norepinephrine and their hearts
flooded with adrenaline. Young love! –DS)
D. GEARY: You never know what kind of stories are hiding inside
you!
(We know. And it looks like it won't be hard to keep Mr. Jones
around should we need bigger… samples of his genetic
information. –DS)
Transcript ends.///

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages…
REPORT BEGINS:
Gavin's Japanese is flawless, but often a little rude. He marched
up to the HQ of the Onmoraki-Gumi and demanded an audience
with their new leader. Gavin had Emmanuel with him and was
confident that the odds were in his favour.
The stylish thug guarding the door introduced himself as Kiyoshi
Takakura, and invited them to leave before he was forced to
administer a horrible beating.
Gavin repeated his demand, and tossed in a little insult about the
man's ridiculous fashion sense. He's always going on about
psychological warfare. His old Mentor, the one whose death we
are investigating, always told him that once you get inside their
heads and rattle them, then you've won the fight before the first
punch ever gets thrown.
Tonight, the first punch that got thrown hit Gavin square in the jaw.
I remain your humble spy.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages…
REPORT BEGINS:
Kiyoshi kicked the shit out of Gavin. Gavin cried out to Emmanuel
for help, only to be reminded that although he is the ship's
armorer, Manny is a pacifist.
Between Gavin cursing Emmanuel's moral character and
Kiyoshi's laughter echoing through the streets, two other Yakuza
emerged from the building. They watched Kiyoshi beat up an old
white man and cheered loudly to support him, but Emmanuel
overheard them talking to themselves. One suggested that
"Grandma" wouldn't like this kind of attention. And the other
agreed that she had worked hard to keep the Brotherhood out of
sight.
Emmanuel's Japanese isn't as polished as Gavin's, but he knew
enough to realize that everyone there was on the same side. It
was at that moment that Kiyoshi cried out in fury and brought down
his hidden blade towards Gavin, and Manny stepped in between
them.
I remain your humble spy.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages…
REPORT BEGINS:
Emmanuel caught Kiyoshi's fist in his hand, but the blade
punched straight through. Emmanuel's grip never weakened, and
Kiyoshi was surprised that this gaijin was, as he later put it,
"almost Japanese in the way he deals with pain."
Emmanuel, in his broken Japanese, asked if Kiyoshi could recite
the first tenet of the Assassin's Creed. Kiyoshi, suddenly weary,
answered honestly: Stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent.
Emmanuel brought up his other hand and pulled out a dog tag, a
memento from his previous life. On it was burned a certain
insignia that matched the one done in elaborate tattoos peeking
out from Kiyoshi's shirt.
Kiyoshi retracted the hidden blade and offered a sincere apology.
I remain your humble spy.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages…
REPORT BEGINS:
Osaka's new Mentor is a 78-year old woman who laughed at
Gavin's poor battered face when she saw it and assured us that
he was always a troublesome little boy.
Back then, he knew her as Saeko Mochizuki, the wife of Kenichi
Mochizuki, one of his first Mentors, who died in the old Bureau.
Their cell had escaped Abstergo, only to be killed by Yakuza.
Saeko led the surviving Assassins on a mission of revenge, and
took over the gang. These days, she's known as "Osoroshii
Baba", and she's using the Onmoraki-Gumi to blend her
Assassins into the city.
It's a natural fit, she explained, as both Yakuza and the Assassins
work in the dark to serve the light, citing the Yakuza's long history
of chivalrous acts towards the common people. Gavin kept his
criticisms to himself while in her presence, but the look on his
face was not one of approval.
I remain your humble spy.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages...
REPORT BEGINS:
Osoroshii Baba was happy to be reunited with Gavin, but warned
him that they were recovering from battles with Abstergo and
Yakuza and were low on resources. Japan's restrictive gun laws
and harsh penalties keep them at a disadvantage against
Abstergo's unlimited resources.
Gavin offered the guns we bought in the Philippines as tribute to
their new Brotherhood and gave her the contact info for his supplier.
In return, Baba gave him a new type of Animus headset, stolen
from a nearby Abstergo facility. The Templars are up to something
big and she fears that their war will soon escalate into a new
dimension, only she isn't sure what that will be.
And neither am I. How is it that we are only hearing about this now?
We need to dig deeper.
I remain your humble spy.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages...
REPORT BEGINS:
Dr. Chiu changed the bandage on Emmanuel's hand while Gavin's
complaints could be heard echoing through the ship.
“Emmanuel lets a guy stab him, and Chewy makes such a fuss.
Meanwhile, I get turned into living hamburger, and I have to take care
of myself. I'm fighting for a world with more justice than this!”
Dr. Chiu reminded him that he was an old man and shouldn't pick fights
with trained Yakuza Assassins half his age.
“I wouldn't have to if fucking Manny did his fucking job!”
Emmanuel never answers. Creed or no, he will never take another human
life, not after what happened on his first mission as an Assassin.
And Gavin knows this, and constantly feels guilty for putting him in
impossible situations. I still have to shake my head at the idea of an
Assassin who won't kill. A fourth irony.
“What we need,” grumbles the echo, “is an enforcer.”
I remain your humble spy.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages…
REPORT BEGINS:
The ship was still, anchored. The crew was at the table, together.
Nodar Ninidze, our chief steward, outdid himself again this year
and while the dinner was consumed, the conversation was
allowed to approach topics that didn't include murder,
conspiracies, and desperate survival.
This year, like last year, Akaki Ninidze, our chief engineer,
demanded to know how his brother managed to smuggle a turkey
on the ship. Nodar replied to his little brother with the shit-eating
grin of an older brother and said nothing.
Instead, he offered the crew a bottle of the Ninidze Brothers
special reserve, made in a rickety still in the deepest bowels of the
ship, and for one magic night, it didn't taste like something
scraped off the side of a drug addict's bathtub.
Of course, I know how Nodar does it, but I like the guy, so I'll keep
this one secret, even from you.
I remain your festive spy.

At 12:00am, in Tokyo, Japan, the Initiate spy updated an entry aboard the Altaïr II.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages…
REPORT BEGINS:
Captain Susan Drayton was not one to embarrass easily, but a bolt of
shame crept into her cheeks as Osoroshii Baba began to tidy up the inside
of her ship. Eric Cooper, (who by the way, declared himself the winner of
our bet and now uses all the hot water in the morning!) had brought her
aboard for a tour, and the old lady sucked air through her teeth at the
state of things. She informed them that in Japan, New Year's Eve was a
chance to start the next year off with a clean slate, which could only be
accomplished by having a clean house. She even caught me skulking about and
dragged me into the cleaning team. The old Mentor rewarded our efforts with
homemade toshikoshi soba, which was delicious.
Emmanuel and Kiyoshi sparred for three hours, before Kiyoshi dragged him out
to a karaoke bar. Dr. Chiu filmed him singing with her phone, and Emmanuel
swore that he would renounce his stance on killing if she ever showed it to
anyone.
The Hacker, the Chief Engineer, and the Chief Steward went shopping. Emmett
stockpiled the strange mutant cousins of American snackfood for the next leg
of our endless journey. Wasabi chocolate bars, seafood ice cream, and something
called a placenta jelly drink. For an arthritic hacker, he's certainly a braver
man than I. Akaki bought classic samurai films on DVD and I look forward to his
next movie night. Nodar, meanwhile, spent $300 to eat a meal prepared by a man
revered as the last living master sushi chef.
When Gavin gets stressed, he runs, scrambling across rooftops as only an
Assassins can. I don't doubt that he was thinking of his old friend and Mentor,
who must have taught him so much, and who was now just another ghost to chase him
around the world.
This is where my team of Assassins were at the stroke of midnight. Where were you?
I remain your humble spy.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages...
REPORT BEGINS:
Satisfied that there is an Assassin presence in Japan, Gavin has
made the call to move on.
Again, we take our direction from another riddle in William's book.
Emmett, recovering from a two-day bender of Japanese corn
syrup and his complex hybrid sativa, asks Gavin why he can't just
call up William for the answer, now that he has returned to the
Good Fight.
"First of all, Bill gave us the book, so it's our mission, end of story.
Second of all, just because I know Bill's back, doesn't mean I
know where he is or how to get in touch with him," is Gavin's
answer, "And besides, it just wouldn't be any fun if we had all the
answers from the start."
I wonder where we are going next.
I remain your humble spy.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages...
REPORT BEGINS:
Things have calmed down since the excitement in the fall.
I was looking into the code of Animus Omega and I noticed a small error which
was causing aspects of the simulation to malfunction.
I know I'm not supposed to leave any traces, but I fixed it. We need the
simulation running at peak performance to get the information we need.
I've attached a file that should prove useful.
Your Man in Montreal.

At 10:36am, in Vladivostok, Russia, the Initiate spy updated an entry regarding the crew's next stop.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages…
REPORT BEGINS:
After solving William's puzzle, we have a destination: Moscow.
A new puzzle will help us narrow things down within the city.
The crew is still, ahem, puzzling over this page.
I think I've figured it out, though. What do you think?
I remain your humble spy.

At 3:41pm, in Vladomir, Russia, the Initiate spy updated an entry aboard the Altaïr II.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages...
REPORT BEGINS:
Gavin, Emmanuel, and Emmett are hurtling towards Moscow on
the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Meanwhile, the rest of us aboard the Altaïr II are sailing around
Russia to land in St. Petersburg.
Emmett sends daily logs of the away team's activity via his phone,
which has been updated with Hephaestus 2.0. So far he's just
sending snapshots of his meals, from which I will spare you.
On the plus side, Emmett's absence presents me with a rare
opportunity to get on his machines. This gamble has already paid
off: I've discovered an odd backdoor from an Abstergo server to an
old Assassin laboratory in Protvino, outside of Moscow. Most of
the files are corrupt, which is strange, but I will extract what I can
and upload any files of interest to the appropriate section of the
Initiates Database, so watch out for updates.
The whole thing is strange. Abstergo isn't spying on this lab or
making any moves towards it. If I didn't know any better, I would
say that they aren't even aware that this backdoor exists. So the
question becomes: Who put it there, and why?
I remain your humble spy.

At 9:09pm, in Moscow, Russia, the Initiate spy updated an entry aboard the Altaïr II.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages...
REPORT BEGINS:
The following is an excerpt from Emmett's report on their mission
in Moscow:
Hey guys. We have established contact with an Assassin in
Moscow, Galina Voronina.
So this is awkward: she wants us to assassinate her mother, an
Assassin scientist who went nuts. Apparently this lady built her own
Animus and forced the other members of her cell into it!
The mother's holed up inside the lab, but, to get to her, we have to
fight through the remains of the Russian Brotherhood, driven
insane by the Bleeding Effect.
It gets worse: this old bat might be the craziest of all. She swears
that through the Animus, she's talking to Eve.
That's...unsettling.
I remain your humble spy.

At 10:06am, in Moscow, Russia, the Initiate spy updated an entry aboard the Altaïr II.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages...
REPORT BEGINS:
The following is an excerpt from Emmett's report on their mission
in Moscow:
I tried to explain to Galina that you can't actually talk to anyone in
the Animus, it's a one way experience. She didn't listen to me and
shot me a look that made me want to shit my pants.
There are very few documented cases of contact with anyone from
the First Civilization or that era. We still don't really know what their
deal is.
Gavin's agreed to help and thinks he can solve it with words rather
than violence. After all, we need to know what's going on with their
cell. We're going to a real-life Soviet Science City! (How cool is that?)
I remain your humble spy.

At 4:23pm, in Protvino, Russia, the Initiate spy updated an entry aboard the Altaïr II.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages...
REPORT BEGINS:
The following is an excerpt from Emmett's report on their mission
in Moscow:
We found the science city! What a disappointment. This place is a
rotten shithole. It's also crawling with feral Assassins, driven mad
by the Bleeding Effect.
We all had guns (except Manny) but Galina refused. She had two
hidden blades. Galina ended all of them, practically by herself.
It was like a gruesome ballet.
One of the mad Assassins looked exactly like her! A twin? Galina
didn't even blink, killed her in SECONDS. Man, she's scary.
Sidebar: I am a terrible shot. Why didn't I stay on the fucking boat?
We forced our way into the lab. Galina's mother was there,
strapped to the saddest-looking Animus I have ever seen. The
parts were ancient. It shouldn't have been running at all. She was
just babbling. Something about her lost husband, the colour gray.
Bleeding Effect nonsense.
There were monitors on the wall. It was just static but... it looked
like there was a face in there. I feel like I've seen it before but I
can't place it...
Galina knelt down next to the machine, and plunged her blade
into her mother's brain. Everyone was looking at them, but I kept
looking at that face in the monitors. It looked like it was screaming
but it's gone now. Was it even there?
I remain your humble spy.

At 7:43am, in Saint Petersburg, Russia, the Initiate spy updated an entry aboard the Altaïr II.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages…
REPORT BEGINS:
Gavin's away team met us in St. Petersburg and brought Galina
along. She's the last of the Russian Assassins. Gavin has
convinced her to join us on the boat, and judging from her
performance in the Assassin lab, it looks like he's got his wish for
an enforcer. I'm sure Manny is relieved.
Eric asked Galina how she avoided doing time in her mother's
Animus and ending up like the poor souls she put down.
"I didn't," she said, "I went into it like everyone else and learned to
fight from my ancestors. I just didn't go crazy."
Time will tell, I suppose.
Akaki and Nodar have sent word to their contacts in Georgia to
send agents to form a new Russian Brotherhood. Osoroshii Baba
will supply weapons from our people in the Philippines.
Regardless of relations between their home countries, the
Assassins are a Brotherhood without borders.
If there is one message Gavin brings with him in his tour around
the world, it is this: The Assassins are no longer alone.
I remain your humble spy.

At 3:46pm, in Helsinki, Finland, the Initiate spy updated an entry aboard the Altaïr II.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages...
REPORT BEGINS:
Gavin's been a good soldier for a long time. He took William's
book, and the responsibility that came with it, out of loyalty for his
friend, who went away to deal with a traumatic loss.
Gavin's been in a foul mood since we left Russia. I think it's all
catching up to him. The Brotherhood has lost teams in Brisbane,
Whistler, Florence, Denver, and now Moscow. There's half a cell in
Osaka. Sao Paulo hasn't been heard from in over two years.
William Miles came back to the fight late last year, but as of yet
has not reached out to us. Gavin is starting to take that silence personally.
I remain your humble spy.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages...
REPORT BEGINS:
Gavin brought us all together and slammed William's journal
down on the table in front of us.
"Find me William Miles!"
Time to put our thinking caps on...
I remain your humble spy.

At 1:02pm, in Norway, the Initiate spy updated an entry aboard the Altaïr II.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages...
REPORT BEGINS
If William Miles was surprised to see Gavin arrive at his secret
bunker, he didn't show it. There was no handshake, no hug,
nothing to suggest that these two have been friends, fighting
together for years.
"We need to talk, Bill," Gavin said.
Shaun Hastings and Rebecca Crane were much happier to see
us, and tried to break the ice, but Gavin would have none of it.
"You two are next on my shit list."
Emmett immediately pulled Rebecca aside to start tinkering with
their Hephaestus phones, and, I suspect, enjoy some recreational marijuana.
The core members of the modern-day Brotherhood are all here. I
am going to plant some bugs around the compound to see if I can
pick up anything of interest.
This is a tremendous opportunity for us, but I wonder what the
future holds for them.
I remain your humble spy.

Initiates Surveillance Audio Transcript:
William Miles: What's this?
Gavin Banks: What's it look like? I'm giving you your fucking book
back.
William Miles: Why?
Gavin Banks: Why not? You give me that thing, with a tear-stained
letter about how you can't go on, but in less than a year, you're
back in the game. I feel like you played me.
William Miles: Well... You're acting like a selfish child.
Gavin Banks: What?
William Miles: I lost my only son, you ass! I did feel like it was over.
And I chose to trust you over everyone else in the world. I forced
myself to come back because what we do is bigger than me,
bigger than you, even bigger than Desmond. But if this is all you
got for me, maybe that trust was misplaced.
Gavin Banks: Maybe it was. Tell you what, you keep your riddles
and your schemes, down here in the dark, and my team will go out
into the real world and do real work. Get Shaun and Rebecca to
update the machines on my boat and then we're out of here.

Uploading to the Initiates Database in all available languages...
REPORT BEGINS
Rebecca came aboard the ship to perform maintenance on our
computer systems. She helped install them, after all, before she
left for Montreal and we went to Japan. Everything seemed fine
until, she called us all together to make a rather startling announcement:
"Someone on your ship is a spy," she said, "I found a series of
coded messages being sent to something called 'The Initiates Database.'
They've been sent pretty regularly over the past couple of years. Ring any bells?"
"What the hell is an Initiate?" asked Gavin.
I'm going to have to lay low for a bit, but the bugs I've planted
around the bunker should automatically relay everything they pick
up to the Database.
I think your humble spy might be in trouble here.

Initiates Surveillance Audio Transcript:
Gavin Banks: Shaun and Rebecca are still aboard the ship,
seeing if they can find out where the signals are going.
William Miles: I'm going to have them perform a background check
on your crew while they're at it.
Gavin Banks: Fine.
William Miles: Our little spat is going to have to wait. After Lucy
Stillman, I can't afford to take any chances.
Gavin Banks: Agreed.
William Miles: Until this spy is found, I think it's best if your crew
stays confined to their quarters aboard the ship.
Gavin Banks: Keep Galina in the bunker. She came aboard very
recently, I'm certain she can't be the spy.
William Miles: I am going to call on your team one-by-one
for interviews. You will bring them to me here.
Gavin Banks: "Interview," my ass! Leave it to William Miles to own
a bunker with a built-in interrogation cell.
William Miles: I like to be prepared for anything. I call it the
White Room.
Gavin Banks: You have a sick sense of humor. I take it I'm not a suspect?
William Miles: Ha. If I thought you were capable of this, I'd have
killed you when we first met.

Initiates Surveillance Audio Transcript:
William Miles: How did you meet Gavin?
Susan Drayton: I was a bit of an activist when I was young. I broke
into the water supply for Prince George, the place I grew up, and
took a sample of something labeled "New Fluoride." Seemed
fishy, and I figured I'd leak it to the press or something, but I got
arrested on my way out.
William Miles: And Gavin bailed you out of jail?
Susan Drayton: No, Janice did. At first, I thought she was a crazy
environmentalist, like me. Ha! Turns out she was crazier, she was
one of us.
William Miles: She recruited you into the Brotherhood.
Susan Drayton: Yeah. Janice was big on conservation, said that a
strong connection with nature was crucial for Assassin success. I
couldn't argue with the results.
William Miles: So where did Gavin come in?
Susan Drayton: We both tried to steal the same boat! I was gonna
take it and go chase Japanese whalers, but Gavin wanted it as a
mobile HQ for the Brotherhood.
William Miles: So you teamed up.
Susan Drayton: Yeah. Funny thing was that Gavin had no idea how
to pilot a ship. I spent some time around boats as a kid, so I got to
keep the ship as my own and we agreed to work together,
handling issues that were important to both of us.
William Miles: Do you think these Initiates have a cause worth
fighting for?
Susan Drayton: They might be smart enough to spy on us, but if
they have a cause, a reason to exist, or any passion at all, I have
yet to see it.

Initiates Surveillance Audio Transcript:
William Miles: Your parents worked for an Abstergo pharmaceutical
company in Beijing.
Stephanie Chiu: Still do, for all I know.
William Miles: You graduated from an Abstergo-funded university.
You were meant to follow in their footsteps.
Stephanie Chiu: My life was planned since birth: Study hard,
qualify as a doctor, join the family business. Be a good girl.
William Miles: You have degrees in medicine, biomedical and chemical
engineering, and a post-doctoral fellowship in membrane technology.
Stephanie Chiu: Thrilling, right?
William Miles: But you also have a degree in information security
and network science. Those fields don't really overlap.
Stephanie Chiu: I never really wanted to work with my parents, but
working at Abstergo seemed like a good idea at the time. I wanted options,
and they had more openings in advanced technology than in pharmaceuticals.
William Miles: What made you turn away from them?
Stephanie Chiu: You know about the New Fluoride scandal?
William Miles: Abstergo got caught manipulating the water supply
of a small US town.
Stephanie Chiu: Yeah, but they didn't get caught in China.
They used it all over the place and it messed up a lot of people.
William Miles: What did that have to do with you?
Stephanie Chiu: My father created New Fluoride. I couldn't believe
it when I found out. I ran away to Hong Kong, and Abstergo chased me.
I thought I was done for, but then I met Gavin and Captain Drayton
and they brought me aboard the ship.
William Miles: And you became one of us.
Stephanie Chiu: Yeah, I got inducted. I patch you guys up,
and I grow Emmett's weed, but mostly, I'm just here to fight
against Abstergo. No one should be allowed to ruin lives like that.

Initiates Surveillance Audio Transcript:
William: It's been a long time. I imagine you're still angry with me.
Emmanuel: I don't dwell on the past. Sir.
William: If anyone on Gavin's crew has a reason to betray the
Brotherhood, I'd say it's you.
Emmanuel: Why, because I followed your orders?
William: I ordered you to find a Templar presence in the War on
Terror. I didn't order you to kill children.
Emmanuel: Every kid on that bus was wearing a bomb and they
were aimed at the peace talks. I saved more people than I killed.
William: No one is saying otherwise.
Emmanuel: You know what the worst part of it is? Those kids
weren't even Templars, or anything like that. They were victims in
the truest sense.
William: And that's when you made your vow to never kill again?
Emmanuel: What's the first tenet of our Creed? "Stay your
blade from the flesh of the innocent." I failed, so I made a promise; no
more killing. Ever.
William: You let Gavin get beaten in the streets of Kyoto. You sat
back and watched your team fight insane Assassins in Russia.
Are you punishing us for what happened to you?
Emmanuel: Gavin knew my story when you pawned me off on him.
Our deal was that I'd arm the team and train them in weapons
use. Nothing more.
William: Some of these "Initiate" signals are coming from the
military base where you were trained.
Emmanuel: So what?
William: So maybe you're punishing the Brotherhood by spilling
our secrets? Maybe you're breaking the third tenet?
Emmanuel: With all due respect, sir: Fuck you. I'm loyal to the
Brotherhood. I'm loyal past the point of common sense. So kill me
or get out of my face. Sir.

Initiates Surveillance Audio Transcript:
William Miles: You were recruited into the Brotherhood after you
went on a killing spree in Edinburgh?
Eric Cooper: You call it a "killing spree" and I'll call it a "carefully
executed plan of revenge against the hate group that killed the
love of my life" and we'll just agree to disagree.
William Miles: Gavin said you were thinking about suicide when
he brought you in.
Eric Cooper: It's fair to say I hit rock bottom, ken? I figured, either I
die alone on the streets of Edinburgh, or I die alone, out there in
the world somewhere. Didnae see much of a difference. But the
Assassins changed my outlook completely.
William Miles: How so?
Eric Cooper: Well, for starters, you lot were very welcoming.
Gavin's crew was, anyways. Not one of them has ever looked at
me like I was a thing. I'd never experienced that before, ken?
William Miles: Your closest friends aboard the ship are Doctor
Chiu and Mister Leary.
Eric Cooper: Aye, well, Chewy helps me regulate my hormones.
Even after the surgeries, it takes a wee bit of effort to remain the
ruggedly handsome scoundrel that sits before you.
William Miles: And Emmett Leary?
Eric Cooper: It's my duty to make sure the ship runs smoothly, and
he's a messy one. But we have a laugh and he helps me check on
what it's like back home. I want to plan for a future where I can go
back one day, ken?
William Miles: I see.
Eric Cooper: You don't think this spy is one of them, do you?

Initiates Surveillance Audio Transcript:
William Miles: So you're the man who created the fake
Brotherhood in Georgia. To what end?
Akaki Ninidze: The place where I grew up was, and still is,
troubled. Many wars are being fought for many reasons. I wanted
them all to stop.
William Miles: Why Assassins?
Akaki Ninidze: The Assassins had long since vanished, but they
still enjoyed a fearsome reputation in Syria, Turkey, and Russia. I
tried to use that to my advantage. I studied whatever I could find on
them and created a 'Brotherhood.' I took in people who were tired
of fighting for misguided reasons, and wanted to fight for peace.
William Miles: A noble goal but foolishly accomplished.
Akaki Ninidze: I suppose it was. We began to involve ourselves in
the various conflicts throughout the region. People began to fear
'The Assassins', but we were discovered.
William Miles: The Templars came looking for you.
Akaki Ninidze: We suffered a series of brutal defeats, but the
attacks were too precise and coming from many different
enemies, as though they were cooperating against us.
William Miles: And that's when Gavin found you.
Akaki Ninidze: He took what was left of us and we went into hiding.
We spent a few months in the Pankisi Valley, where he taught us
the secret history of the world.
William Miles: And you and your brother left with him after that?
Akaki Ninidze: Once we saw the truth, how could we not? The goal
remained the same, but the scale increased. At least we left a true
Brotherhood behind back home.

Initiates Surveillance Audio Transcript:
Emmett Leary: You mind if I blaze this, man? It's for my arthritis,
you know?
William Miles: Fine. You used to work for Abstergo Industries?
Emmett Leary: I was a software engineer for the Surrogate
Initiative. I worked on the tech that reads genetic memories.
William Miles: Why did you leave Abstergo?
Emmett Leary: After the project folded, Warren Vidic tried to recruit
me for the Animus Project. I said no.
William Miles: Why?
Emmet Leary: Man, I knew from the start that something wasn't
right with Vidic. I know crazy when I see it, you know? I left the
company. I signed all the NDAs and got a healthy severance
package. It was understood that I'd stay quiet.
William Miles: But...
Emmett Leary: But, Abstergo, you know? I couldn't shake this
feeling that they were gonna get me. So I started writing down,
like, everything I had on them.
William Miles: Then you met Gavin.
Emmett Leary: One night I wake up and there's a beardy white guy
at the foot of my bed. Nightmare fuel! I can't even ask him a
question before a bunch of unmarked cars pull up in front of my
place and goons come pouring out of 'em.
William Miles: It's not paranoia if Abstergo's out to get you.
Emmett Leary: Exactly, man. I followed Gavin with no further
questions. I ran out of my place in the middle of the night wearing
just my fucking tighty-whities. Reports of my death began to
circulate soon after. Been on the run with him ever since.
William Miles: You have connections to all sorts of hackers and
activists, but you've never heard of these "Initiates?"
Emmett Leary: I keep an eye on everyone in the digital space,
governments, military, Abstergo, even nutjobs like Erudito.
Nobody's heard of these guys, I swear. You believe me, right?

Initiates Surveillance Audio Transcript:
William Miles: So what's your deep, dark secret Nodar?
Nodar Ninidze: Not so secret, really. I used to be a sumo wrestler.
William Miles: I... was not expecting that.
Nodar Ninidze: I was a big guy, and I liked to fight. I got pretty good,
too.
William Miles: What made you walk away from it?
Nodar Ninidze: A vile stew of politics and corruption. Sumo was
filthy with both. It reminded me of home. And when I returned to
Georgia, I found my little brother already in a fight.
William Miles: Your brother was fighting against Chechen rebels.
Nodar Ninidze: No! That's just it. Our group weren't rebels in that
sense. Rather, we were a collection of fighters from all sides,
Russian, Georgian, Chechen, who saw strings being pulled from
very high levels.
William Miles: You didn't fight for any political cause, but peace
itself.
Nodar Ninidze: We tried our best. When we met Gavin, we saw
that the strings were connected to a web that wrapped around the
world. We had found our cause.

Initiates Surveillance Audio Transcript:
William Miles: In times past, any treason against the Brotherhood
was punishable by death. Faced with this new breach of trust, I
see no reason not to do the same.
Shaun Hastings: Um, I could probably muster up a few --
William Miles: Silence! I know who the spy is. Galina?
Galina Voronina: Da?
William Miles: Kill Doctor Chiu.
Galina Voronina: Da.
Emmett Leary: Wait, what?
Eric Cooper: Now wait just a damn minute!
Gavin Banks: Stand down, Eric.
Eric Cooper: The hell I will! She's not the traitor! I am!
Stephanie Chiu: Eric, no!
Eric Cooper: I've been uploading the messages! I'm the spy!
Shaun Hastings: A Scottish spy? That's a laugh.
Stephanie Chiu: He just writes the reports, I'm the one that uploads them!
Eric Cooper: Chewy!
Stephanie Chiu: No! We're in this together.
Eric Cooper: I guess I'll not die alone after all.
Gavin Banks: Nobody's dying, you numbskull.
Eric Cooper: I don't understand.
William Miles: Even if I wanted to, I don't have the resources to
exterminate the Initiates.
Gavin Banks: And from what Rebecca has shown us so far, they
seem pretty reasonable.
William Miles: These interviews gave me a chance to get to know
you and I came away impressed.
Shaun Hastings: Just so we're all on the same page, there's to be
no murder today?
William Miles: No.
Eric Cooper: Are you trying to give me a heart attack, old man?
William Miles: You have to let an old man have his fun.

Initiates Surveillance Audio Transcript:
Rebecca Crane: You guys, these Initiates are incredible! They're
using a series of small satellites to create a network that can
transmit data to anywhere in the world. They've made an "Outernet."
Stephanie Chiu: We believe that information is a basic human right.
Emmett Leary: This network keeps you outside of the internet
controlled by corporations and governments.
William Miles: Why have your satellites not been detected
by anyone? Say Abstergo's satellites?
Eric Cooper: Are you aware of just how much rubbish is floating
above us? To borrow one of your lessons, we're hidden in plain sight.
Shaun Hastings: It's very impressive, but if you're just a bunch of
industrious nerds, who pays for it? Who's in charge?
Stephanie Chiu: We're funded by all kinds of private citizens. We
have military connections, people at Harvard and MIT, even an
eccentric billionaire or two.
Eric Cooper: As for who is running the show, we don't have
"leaders" in the sense that you have a Mentor. We take directions
from four individuals, but up until now, they've mostly just guided
our research.
Stephanie Chiu: No one knows who these four are. We hear
rumors that they created the Initiates and the Database, but no
one knows for sure.
Rebecca Crane: It's freakin' beautiful! It reminds me of what we
used to have before the Great Purge. I never thought I'd see
something like this again.
Shaun Hastings: Honestly, though, if you lot were tracking our
movements all this time, couldn't you have stepped in?
Stephanie Chiu: Our only goal was gathering knowledge. We
made vows to stay neutral.
Shaun Hastings: That's all well and good, but some of us might
still be alive today if you'd been a little less neutral.

Initiates Surveillance Audio Transcript:
William Miles: Still angry with me?
Gavin Banks: No. Yes. I think maybe I'm just angry.
William Miles: You can use angry. It's about momentum. When I
lost Desmond, I just... stopped. Knowing what Abstergo did to
Desmond's body angered me, but it also helped me move forward
again. It re-ignited my fire for the fight.
Gavin Banks: After what I've seen this past year, I'm not so sure
we're even in a fight anymore. We aren't losing. We've lost.
William Miles: Honestly, up until recently, I felt the same way. But
not anymore. The Initiates could be part of the solution.
Gavin Banks: They aren't really fighters.
William Miles: That's true. That's why you and I will continue as we
always have. We'll find and lead the ones who will get their hands
bloody. We won't be in charge of the Initiates.
Gavin Banks: But Shaun and Rebecca will.
William Miles: I'm an old man, with old ideas, and old ways of
doing things. They've more than proven themselves. Let's see how
they can rally those Initiates to our cause.

At 6:18pm, after hacking the Initiates site, Shaun left a message for the group.

My name is Shaun Hastings. I know you're out there, watching us.
Bravo, but that's really all you do, isn't it? Watch. Don't you think
it's time to do more?
You've proven your potential. Why not dedicate it to a true cause?
With you on our side, we can hope to rebuild the Brotherhood.
Otherwise, the Assassins will die, along with our ideals. The
Templars will win, and the world will lose.
Big challenges are ahead of us. United, we stand a better chance
of tipping the scales. Then, the Initiates network will return
stronger, in one form or another, to mark the beginning of your training.
Stay alert, Initiates.

Regarding the name "William M." that appeared as the sender in e-mails separately addressed to Lucy (Concerns, September 26) and Shaun (Status, September 27), Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood lead writer Jeffrey Yohalem mentioned in a podcast posted on April 29, 2012 that "the William M.'s are not necessarily the same".

This was confirmed when Initiates was updated with the events of October 9, revealing that the "William M." who was in contact with Lucy was actually Dr. Warren Vidic.

The image depicting Desmond's transfer to Rome (Unmarked Hangar, September 1) has been updated 3 times. The first version showed the face of Desmond as uncovered and the hour on the timecodes as 18 (6pm). The second version incorporated several changes, specifically the addition of a blindfold on Desmond and Abstergo logos on the uniforms of Desmond's captors, changes to lighting/shadowing, slight changes to the figures' positions, and revising the hour on the timecodes to 16 (4pm). Finally, the current version is identical to the second, though the hour has been restored to the original 18.

Though not necessarily an error, the image showed Desmond with a courier bag and his outfit from Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, despite the event taking place around the time of Assassin's Creed. These were very visible in the original version of the image, but have since been obscured in the updated versions.

In the Animus Explained clip (September 1), Desmond did not argue with Vidic after regaining consciousness, unlike what was shown in Assassin's Creed.

On 7 September, for unknown reasons, the map showed 6 events somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. Zooming in on the area resulted in the message: "Map data not yet available."